Medical Education Seminar Series: Master AI Tools for Your Work - No Coding Required!

Overview

A six-week professional development seminar designed to provide faculty, staff, and students with a practical, conceptual understanding of generative AI technologies. Participants will learn how these systems work, how to use them effectively and responsibly, and explore tools beyond basic chat interfaces. No coding experience required.

Facilitator: Kate Weber, PhD, Assistant Professor & Director of AI in Medical Education

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Explain the fundamental principles of how large language models work
• Identify key differences between major AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) and select appropriate tools for specific tasks
• Apply prompt engineering techniques to achieve better, more consistent results
• Evaluate ethical considerations and practice responsible AI use
• Utilize specialized AI tools including NotebookLM and Scite for research and knowledge work
• Critically assess AI outputs for accuracy, bias, and appropriate use cases

Prerequisites

• None. Curiosity and willingness to experiment with new tools.
• Participants should bring a laptop with internet access.

Session Outline

January 6, 2026 - Week 1: Introduction to Generative AI

• What are large language models and how do they work? (conceptual overview)
• Brief history and current landscape
• Hands-on: Creating accounts and first experiments with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini
• Assignment: Explore each model with the same task; document differences

January 13, 2026 - Week 2: Model Differences and Selection

• Understanding model capabilities, limitations, and "personalities"
• Context windows, multimodality, and specialized features
• When to use which model
• Hands-on: Comparative testing with different task types
• Assignment: Find a use case in your work and test three models

January 20, 2026 - Week 3: Prompt Engineering Fundamentals

• Principles of effective prompting: clarity, context, constraints
• Few-shot learning and examples
• Structured outputs and formatting
• Hands-on: Prompt workshop with real use cases
• Assignment: Develop a prompt template for a recurring task

January 27, 2026 - Week 4: Advanced Prompting and Responsible Use

• Chain-of-thought reasoning and complex tasks
• Fact-checking and hallucination awareness
• Bias, privacy, and ethical considerations
• Academic integrity and citation practices
• Hands-on: Testing reliability; developing verification strategies
• Assignment: Create guidelines for responsible AI use in your context

February 3, 2026 - Week 5: Beyond Chat - NotebookLM and Custom GPTs

• Introduction to NotebookLM for research and synthesis
• Creating custom GPTs for specialized tasks
• Hands-on: Building a notebook with your own materials; creating your first custom GPT
• Assignment: Develop a custom GPT or notebook for a recurring need

February 10, 2026 - Week 6: Beyond Chat - Scite and Synthesis

• Using Scite for research and citation analysis
• Integration of multiple AI tools in a workflow
• Real-world workflows and best practices
• Hands-on: Developing a personal AI toolkit
• Assignment: Document your AI workflow and share insights